diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c481db324f..969fd03bc4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -12544,6 +12544,18 @@ else
 fi
 
     LDAP_LIBS_BE="-lldap $EXTRA_LDAP_LIBS"
+    # This test is carried out against libldap.
+    for ac_func in ldap_initialize
+do :
+  ac_fn_c_check_func "$LINENO" "ldap_initialize" "ac_cv_func_ldap_initialize"
+if test "x$ac_cv_func_ldap_initialize" = xyes; then :
+  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_LDAP_INITIALIZE 1
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
+done
+
     if test "$enable_thread_safety" = yes; then
       # Use ldap_r for FE if available, else assume ldap is thread-safe.
       # On some platforms ldap_r fails to link without PTHREAD_LIBS.
@@ -12593,17 +12605,6 @@ fi
     else
       LDAP_LIBS_FE="-lldap $EXTRA_LDAP_LIBS"
     fi
-    for ac_func in ldap_initialize
-do :
-  ac_fn_c_check_func "$LINENO" "ldap_initialize" "ac_cv_func_ldap_initialize"
-if test "x$ac_cv_func_ldap_initialize" = xyes; then :
-  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_LDAP_INITIALIZE 1
-_ACEOF
-
-fi
-done
-
   else
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for ldap_bind in -lwldap32" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for ldap_bind in -lwldap32... " >&6; }
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index d09d469be4..43ec931557 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1246,6 +1246,8 @@ if test "$with_ldap" = yes ; then
 		 [AC_MSG_ERROR([library 'ldap' is required for LDAP])],
 		 [$EXTRA_LDAP_LIBS])
     LDAP_LIBS_BE="-lldap $EXTRA_LDAP_LIBS"
+    # This test is carried out against libldap.
+    AC_CHECK_FUNCS([ldap_initialize])
     if test "$enable_thread_safety" = yes; then
       # Use ldap_r for FE if available, else assume ldap is thread-safe.
       # On some platforms ldap_r fails to link without PTHREAD_LIBS.
@@ -1257,7 +1259,6 @@ if test "$with_ldap" = yes ; then
     else
       LDAP_LIBS_FE="-lldap $EXTRA_LDAP_LIBS"
     fi
-    AC_CHECK_FUNCS([ldap_initialize])
   else
     AC_CHECK_LIB(wldap32, ldap_bind, [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([library 'wldap32' is required for LDAP])])
     LDAP_LIBS_FE="-lwldap32"